Job Discussion Forums

[chryanvii]

I have only taught oral speaking classes in the past, and have been asked for this contract to teach reading and writing classes.

Books are being provided, which is a plus, but...I've never been content being a "straight from the book" teacher.

Question 1 - should the classes be more lecture/teacher-center based than student based? I don't see how it could possibly be mostly student based, unless you have them read their writings out loud to each other.

Question 2 - if the classes are all based on reading and writing, is the only way that you can grade is to collect papers each week and grade them? What are tips for getting around this?

I am looking for tips and advice on how to organize and set the classes up. Should the upper level classes be based solely on preparing them for their jobs - writing resumes, cover letters, etc., even though this might bore them to tears? Lower level classes based on more fun writings?

For the majority of the class time, do you just give them writing exercises to do? Or...do you then have them speak out loud a little bit about the writing that they have done?

Do you set up their writing tasks just as one might an oral activity...by providing appropriate sentence patterns on the board, and maybe introducing some new vocabulary related to the topic?

The main reason I am asking is because I CANNOT imagine just having the students write [or read] for 1+ solid hour every week, even if the writing activities do change up. Do you have any suggestions for how to break this up...as a way to make it more interesting/dynamic for the students?

Nothing "scares" me more than the idea of just having a silent class period where the students do nothing but write the entire time, week after week...I used to dread these kind of classes back in the day, and as a result, I'm sure it's no different for chinese students.

Thanks for your kind advice and suggestions as I branch out and take on new challenges.

[7969]

I've been teaching a writing class since 2006 so I have some experience in this area.

1. You need to decide what you're going to teach them.

2. You need to make a logical plan to cover the entire year. That includes the teaching plan, resources, and developing some rubrics to ensure you mark consistently and fairly.

3. Use the text, the internet and any other resources you can find. There's plenty out there.

4. Homework doesn't need to be assigned every week, or if it is, it doesn't need to be handed in every week for correction. Some (simpler assignments) can be done and corrected right in class. Depends on the number of students you have really. You need to work out a system for assigning homework, and then collecting, marking, and returning it in a timely fashion.

5. Having a multimedia room where you can use .ppt files is an advantage. I started out using OHPs but that was a pain, for the past four years I've had multimedia rooms at my disposal.

6. I devote about 75% of the class to giving instruction on whatever the topic for that week is - business letter for example. The remainder of the class can be used for the students to start their assignment, usually to be collected the following week. Or if I am giving homework back from the previous week I spend 10-15 mins going over the common errors before I hand the work back. Then begin the next lesson.

7. Check the private message I sent you. I can email you a teaching plan to cover an entire year and a couple of sample .ppt files I use to help get you started. The first year of teaching writing can be a bit chaotic (as with anything new) but once you get a system sorted out it becomes fairly easy.

[Guerciotti]

Off the top of my head, in no particular order:
Yes, writing for an hour will make them crazy, especially if that is the entire class. No need to do that, but it's up to you. I have 1.5 hour classes, and every other week they write for 45 minutes. I have 4 writing classes, so I decided to assign writing every other week. We do writing exercises in every class, so they do write every class, but it is not always necessary for me to take papers home and grade them. Maybe I'm lazy but I'm not crazy about grading 110 papers every week. They do have the option of turning something in every week if they choose.

I grade the papers outside class and then discuss the paper with each student; one on one, in class. This takes about 1/2 of the next class period. I do the next lesson and use the last half of the class to discuss papers. They really appreciate this because it's good to get one on one feedback and they can ask other questions. I like it because I sometimes see things I missed the first time around, and the students I'm not talking to at the moment can do whatever (quiet) thing they like, so it is similar to a break for them.

I teach English majors, so the writing class is directed towards writing for the TEM4 and various other things. I find the basic essay structure should be emphasized, repeated and practiced; they are not accustomed to writing that way. The 45 minutes of writing conveniently coincides with the 45 minute TEM4 writing section. I use a TEM4 sample for several of the 45 minute in class writing assignments. I also do a resume writing lesson because they want it and it is useful.

What else? Oh yea, I'll occassionally start the class with a song (I print the lyrics and hand it out) or talk about nothing and anything for 15 minutes just to break up the monotony. I love writing class but it can be a chore for everyone involved.

Once a semester I'll bring my guitar and mess around for the first half hour; but only if I like the class, whatever that means. I still haven't figured that out. If you can't sing or whatnot, ask the class who sings well. There seems to be a singer or two in every class, so let them sing. Yes, I even let them sing a Chinese song if they like. So sue me. Good luck with venue and service of process.

I cover sentences for two classes, paragraphs for two more weeks, and more interesting things after that.

As someone else here says, your mileage may vary. Dam this is long.
G
I need more cowbell!

[randyj]

As far as the writing goes, this semester I am teaching basic English writing to second-year university students, English majors. Last year I taught the same students, and this course is a continuation, using the same book. Fortunately, the book is not bad (�美国大学英语写作�, 6th Ed., by John Langman, 外语教学与研究出版社, Beijing (2006). ISBN 9787560060620). The publisher furnishes PPTs and answers to all the exercises. I believe students learn to write by writing. Last semester I assigned writing homework every class, but none of it was actually done during class time. My students need a lot of review to strengthen their skill in the areas of tense, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure, to list the most critical, and part of the textbook addresses these. Another part of the text contains chapters dedicated to different formats of academic essays types: compare & contrast, narrative, example, argumentation, etc. So in each class I could spend time discussing the results of the previous assignment, delve into the exercises, and review each chapter's material. This semester, I intend to change somewhat, namely I will assign them three in-class essays, each forty minutes long, during the semester. The major goal this semester is to prepare them for the TEM-4.

[Lobster]

In addition to spending a lot of time on basic sentence structure and the use of conjunctions and punctuation, I found it useful to have the students concentrate on specific parts of an essay without attempting to create a finished work. That is, spend a couple of classes writing only topic sentences, then introductory paragraphs, then main body paragraphs, and finally conclusions. Bibliographies, references, footnotes and in-text citations may follow. Breaking up the writing class this way allowed me to circulate in the classroom and observe the students while giving advice. A short explanation of the purpose and form of the various components preceded each section.

RED

[Miajiayou]

I'm rethinking my strategy a bit. Whenever I've assigned writing homework, the additional work it creates for me in having to check each assignment against the almighty "google" (or baidu, more often) for plagiarism has been unbearable. I have them write in class. Maybe now that I'm a bit more experienced and have better students, I should revisit writing homework.

But, as a PP said, I don't necessarily have them write entire essays unless they are practicing for the TEM4 or IELTS or something. I just have them practice the skill/concepts they have learned in class, and I find it helpful to have them learn by doing it while it is fresh and I am still around, rather than doing it hurriedly the evening before our class the next week.

[Beyond1984]

End-of-text "references ... and in-text citations may follow." -Lobster

I teach Academic Writing to second-year college students (non-English majors). My method is to assign them an essay or article to be read carefully for homework; then they are to write a paragraph summary or statement of its theme in their English notebooks. I often begin the next class by having students write the first two sentences of their homework paragraphs on the board (class participation is 50% of their final grade).

This method widens the opportunities for class discussion, and gives me a chance to show how the two sentences could become one, or how the same points could have been made with fewer words, a courtesy to the reader.

I believe verbosity is the fault of the idiot teachers who say, "Class, I need 2,000 words by this Friday..." My students count sentences, and are made to limit paragraphs to 4-7 of them.

In my opinion, any writing class that does not begin with critically reading an essay or article by a "quotable" expert is a waste of time.

My students, in their freshman comp classes, are made to do "free writing" in their journals during the first ten minutes of a fifty-minute class, writing about anything that pops into their heads ("Last night I dreamed about a horse...") In my opinion this is also a waste of time, especially as they are told not to worry about punctuation, spelling and so on, so that they can write more "freely."

The relentless solipsism of first-year writing classes is a major problem ... I don't allow students to use personal pronouns in academic writing classes, but they're used to writing about "Why I like KFC better than Pizza Hut, Coke more than Pepsi, my favorite sport, favorite food, ad nauseum.

-HDT

It's really pretty easy to teach the MLA format for in-text and end-of-text citations. The students are grateful when they learn how to quote ... and incidents of plagiarism go waaaay down. Quotes are limited to 15 words, but they can quote often.